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B. SHEPARD. FEED HOPPER vAND BELLFOR BLAST AND OTHER PURNAGES.

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UN TED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EDWIN SHEPARD, OF GOSHEN, VIRGINIA.

FEED-HOPPER AND BELL FOR BLAST AND OTHER FURNACES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,667, dated March 27, 1883. Application filed November 24, 1882 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN SHEPARD, of

Goshen, in the county of Rockhridge, State of Virginia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Feed-Hoppers and Bells for Blast and other Furnaces, and also for Distributing the Stock;

I ing for its principal object the obviating ot' the destructive efi'ects of gas -explosions, which sometimes occur in furnaces, and which often prove disastrous tothe structure.

The bell hitherto used is formed of cast-iron, or ofcast and wrought iron combined, all parts or pieces of which are bolted or riveted together, so as to be perfectly tight, the bottom of hell closing tight on inside with bottom of hopper. Should an explosion of gas take place, it has no outlet at the most effective pointviz., that directly over the charge in furnace-- and consequently it seeks other outlets, causing damage to the structure in so doing.

My invention consists in making the top of bellact as a large safety or explosion valve without interfering with its action for the purpose for which it is intended, at the same time allowing the bell to close tight on the under side of hopper from the inside in the usual manner.

. In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a hell, 0, and hopper B; Fig. 2, a plan illustrating the hell, with any desirable portion of the top serving as an explosion or safety valve. The bottom part of this top piece, as alsoits seat on the lower part of hell, should preferably be turned or faced, so as to insure its being tight when down. It can also be weighted, should it not be'sufficiently heavy to keep on its seat under theordinary pressure of the gases. H

b is the spindle or guide, which is secured in the center of arms or rings d, in the lower part of hell 0, by any of the ordinary methods. 1

At the top of spindle or guide I prefer to place a spring to take up the shock.

I do not confine myself to any form of guides or guide, but would prefer the kind shown in drawings.

ff are lugs at or near top of lower part of hell 0, to which lugs the adjustable rods 9 g, hanging the bellto a vibrating beam above in the usual manner, are attached.

This invention may be applied in different ways to wit, in making the top of hell in the form ofone or more flat lids working on hinges; but I have shown sufficient to illustrate the principle.

E. SHEPARD.

Witnesses CHAS. SELDEN,- J. E. PERKINS. 

